


The Emperor's Woman

by Zoya1416



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Courtly Love, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-11 03:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1167859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya1416/pseuds/Zoya1416
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An imaginary tale of the court of Emperor Gregor Vorbarra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Emperor's Woman

**Author's Note:**

> The Vorkosigan Saga belongs to Lois McMaster Bujold. Jessira belongs to me.

Once there was an Emperor who needed a wife. The highest lady of his realm brought many beautiful women to see him, women from fine families, with many graces. They were tall, dark-haired, and lovely. They could sing, play musical instruments, and dance courtly dances well. They could converse with witty humor. But none of them pleased him.

When he was three and thirty, it came to pass that he was in the countryside riding with his favorite vassal secundus, and his horse startled when a bird burst out from the field before them. The horse, a strong black gelding, bolted and ran, and he was dragged by the stirrup. He fell onto rocks, dazed. 

But a young stableboy ran to him, binding up his wounds and splinting his broken arm. He found the emperor's cloak, which had been torn away in the fall, and gently wrapped the man.

The stableboy then called the horse to him and tied up its reins on a bush. The emperor's vassal ran to him, sorrowful and full of fear, because his own horse had lamed when it tried to run after the emperor. 

But the emperor smiled and said that all was well because of the young stableboy's succor. And he inquired of the stableboy's name, and he answered, 'Jess.' 

That night the emperor again praised the stableboy to his vassal, speaking of his quick wits and courage, and the vassal replied saying that she was the best who had ever worked for him. And the emperor was amazed, for he had not seen that Jess was a woman. He recalled the strong lithe figure, with its soft yellow curls, and began to care for her. 

When he returned to the city, he took her with him, for she had pledged to be his wife.

The highest lady of his court scowled at him and told him that no one would accept a hill-women with no pedigree as empress, and said that Jessira (for that was her true name) would come to him stinking of the stables. Also, the girl was too young to marry, being only seventeen. The emperor insisted, and told her to have Jessira educated in all the graces. 

So Jessira was brought into the city to learn mannerly ways. She was bathed in sweet-smelling waters, and perfumed, and her hair was trained into elaborate designs.

Jessira was given space with a kindly family, a man and woman who were both scholars. She could read and write, add and subtract, but had no other learning. They gave her books to read, of history, and battles, celebrated warriors, and of those who built the empire in peaceful ways. They named her as her niece, to give her some heritage. 

Her thirst for knowledge increased. She eagerly learned mathematics and astronomy, for she had always looked at the stars at home. She was quick to learn the way an educated woman should speak.

But Jessira could not master the ways of the court. She hated women's dress, with its tripping skirts. She learned dancing easily, but nothing would stop her from throwing herself into the steps with all her strength, not in a proper woman's quiet grace. She could not sing or play any instrument. 

And though she could talk easily to the emperor, and make him laugh, none of the other courtiers liked her. No one in the palace would talk to her. They saw her country ways, and wondered aloud how she had bespelled the emperor.

The emperor came to love her more every day, allowing her to tease and jest with him as no one else had. He could see that she was young, and not refined, but put these things out of his mind, believing that all would be well with time. Jessira's form had changed as she ate the rich food of the court, and she became more womanly appealing. 

She had a fine horse, with a beautiful velvet saddle, and rode the parks of the city daily. The highest and richest lords and ladies rode as well, laughing and visiting with each other. They greeted her civilly, but coolly, and did not converse with her. She was saddened by this and began to long for her home in the hills. But now she had many palace ways about her, which the simple hill people would resent. For six months she stayed there, trying to please him.

She wept silently when she thought no one could see her. But the emperor saw. When he inquired of her, she answered him, saying, 'Sire, I am not of the court and can never be, but I am too unnatural to live in my village. I am neither fish nor fowl, nor good red meat. Please release me from my pledge.'

The emperor did not want to release her, and he asked her where she would go.  
She replied 'Your vassal is preparing a school in the hills. I wish to become a teacher, to serve you and the empire in this way.'

The emperor was saddened by this, and he embraced her for the last time, releasing her. She left him as eagerly as she had come, and he fell into a darkness of spirit.

The world turned as it always had, and the emperor remained alone for some months, grieving for his lost love. Then one day his vassal secundus brought a woman before him who made him laugh again. She was of the highest class of another country, and she graced his table with dazzling wit and authority of speech. 

She was learned and spoke easily with the court's advisers, and captured the admiration of all who saw her. And she was beautiful, womanly in form, capped with golden curls.

He married her, and they stood together in the night, watching the fireworks which celebrated their wedding. Then the Emperor Gregor embraced his Empress Laisa, and in his thoughts silently and kindly took leave of Jessira forever.


End file.
